A Spark Of Moonlight
by Laqueus
Summary: Twice during her adventure, Amaterasu feels another presence similar to hers. A smaller one, that also wields a Celestial Brush... [Amaterasu/Waka, Reupload and Rewrite, contains spoilers for both Okami and Okamiden]


_AN: OKAY SO. This is back up again (for the, ah, what is it now, third time?) after my fickle arse went back and forth over the years, deleting it and re-uploading it. I recently rediscovered it, and have fixed various errors here and there, along with taking the chance to do a rewrite, expanding it to 3k+ words, since it could've done with being a bit longer. It's not exactly like my style now, since it was originally written in 2012, and subsequently edited/published in 2014, but here it is anyway. Thanks for your patience. Cheers._

 _Original AN: Welp, guess what I found lying around in my folder? That's right - an Amaterasu/Waka story! Hooray! (As if doesn't have enough stories featuring this pairing already). Anyway, I've cleaned it up, and rewritten it a bit, and it is now here for your enjoyment. I have a feeling I shall regret uploading this, but oh well._

 _Also: For those of you wondering what happened to_ **The Sky Ain't The Limit, Mate!** _,_ _there's a note on my profile detailing what has happened to it._

 _This contains_ _ **SPOILERS**_ _for both Okami and Okamiden, so watch out!_

oOoOoOo

It was when Amaterasu was assisting Susano that she first felt it. They were a sombre pair of dancers, bloodied and exhausted, their stage being the dark confines of the Moon Cave, the interior reeking of evil. _Tohenboku_ cut through the air, Power Slash following it like an unseen shadow. Both blades stuck true, one by one cleaving the heads of Orochi clean off together.

Amaterasu leapt and dived, her Celestial brush carving a graceful arc through the air-

And suddenly it was as if her brush had its own echo.

It was much smaller, but equally determined, giving off not a feeling of paint, but of something simpler. More childlike. Charcoal, maybe. Had she been mortal, Amaterasu might have stumbled in surprise, but divinity flowed through her, and her mind was sharply focused on the task at hand. With what little attention she could devote to it, Amaterasu mentally reached out and _felt_ the newer presence. The brush was not being guided under the hand of evil (a relief, really), and yet it was most odd; it felt so much like her own – almost the same even - but there was a certain something that marked both brush and wielder as different.

Before she could properly ponder this mystery, the entire event was over; Susano gave a mighty cry, slicing Orochi's final head in two under his own power, slitting it from crown to base. The terrible beast, source of so much misery, crashed to the ground with a sound like a mountain collapsing. As if plucked from a heroic story of old, Kushi fell into Susano's arms, and Amaterasu had to give the man credit: despite his fatigue, he did not waver as he caught her. As she watched the two lovers, a quiet memory resurfaced in Amaterasu.

 _Her sun had been high in the sky, the day beautifully warm without being stifling. She lay sprawled in the grass under the umbrella-like shade of a tree that gently dappled both the ground and herself. Her robes pooled around her, feet covered in grass stains from where she'd been running. Some would consider it unfitting for a goddess to act in such a manner, but if such people existed, they did not exist on the Celestial Plain, where all would frolic and play._

 _The music had crept into her ears before she even realised that it was there; a soft tune, that rippled and danced like a small stream of water, coming from a bough overhead. Her mouth curved into a smile, fondness welling in her heart. He always did seem to favour high places. Even without seeing him, she could all-too-easily picture him: perched on a branch above, like some variety of bird, looking for all the world like he had always stood there, and will continue to stand there for all eternity, a fixture on the tree. The child of the moon, who turned his face to the sun._

"That's right Ammy! We're just gettin' started!" Issun's voice suddenly piped up in her ear, breaking the memory. "I mean, we can't let a great adventure simply end like this. Now gimme one of those famous victory howls of yours!"

Amaterasu obliged, throwing back her head and howling with such vigour that it felt like her chest would burst.

Suddenly, a shudder rippled throughout the ground. It was very quickly followed by another, which in turn was followed by its own tiny hoard of tiny rumbles, only to abruptly stop as suddenly as it'd begun.

Beneath Amaterasu's paws, the ground shook again, with enough force to almost tip her over, this time accompanied by a terrible noise that was half-scrape, half-grind, and entirely unpleasant to listen to.

"That ain't good!" piped up Issun from beside Amaterasu's ear, as the pair watched a crack creep up the wall. "C'mon Ammy, shift, or you're gonna end up a wolf pancake!"

Amaterasu barked sharply, half in agreement, half to alert Susano and Kushi. Together, the four of them fled from the Moon Cave as it began to collapse around them; Orochi had been the cornerstone for this den of evil, and now that he was gone, it could not sustain itself any further. As Amaterasu ran (deftly dodging debris all around, slicing that which either could not be dodged or would pose a threat to her mortal companions, Issun jabbering in her ear to "watch out Ammy!"), she reached out once more, feeling and probing for the presence on a deeper, non-physical level. Ah, there it was. It was faint, but she caught it. Smaller, and so like her. But that certain something that differentiated it… Could that really be…?

Then, like a candle being extinguished, the smaller presence vanished.

Amaterasu considered this for a moment, then shook her head as she shot out into the fresh air. The little something that had made the second Celestial brush user different from her, why, it'd felt so much like… But that would mean…

Whether it was the exertion from running so hard, a delayed reaction to the fact that the vile Orochi was once again dead, or the potential revelation that she'd reached, Amaterasu found her heart racing just that bit faster. She shook her head again, a displacement activity to dispel such thoughts, as if they could be banished like ghosts. She could dwell on such things later. For now, there was work to do.

oOo

It was in circumstances much like the first when Amaterasu next felt the presence again. Although she had cast about, feeling around and keeping a divine, metaphorical ear out for it as she roamed the land after Orochi's defeat, she had had little joy in locating the owner of the tiny Celestial brush. But now, as she executed a fine display of Divine Intervention, the little brush wielder was once again present, mimicking her strokes perfectly.

Of all the places to find them! Here, 100 years in the past, with the walls of the Moon Cave enclosing her and hiding her radiance from the world (just like an incident from oh-so long ago involving mirrors and a misunderstanding), when she was rending Orochi's heads from his body once more. This time however, the blade aided by her Power Slash was _Tsukuyomi_ , its wielder being Nagi.

It was a testament to the strength of Orochi's evil, that even having bested and slain him before, Amaterasu found herself fighting tooth and claw for victory. As she readied her Celestial brush to slice off the head marked with lightning, she reached out with the free corner of her mind. Perceived the little brush. And her suspicions, first felt 100 years in the future and carefully carried along with her, tucked in the corner of her mind, were now confirmed.

Time has a funny habit of being circular, and is fond of repeating itself, albeit with different characters: Nagi gave a mighty cry, slicing Orochi's final head in two under his own power, slitting it from crown to base. The terrible beast, source of so much misery, crashed to the ground with a sound like a mountain collapsing. As if plucked from a heroic story of old, Lika landed neatly on Amaterasu's back, and to the sun-goddess' credit, despite her fatigue, she did not waver as she caught her.

Alas, there was little time for Amaterasu to fully devote her attention to the little mystery helper. Oki had vanished, and as Issun badgered Nagi to leave, Orochi's foul taint filled the air once more. The floor shook, the wind howled, and a heaving mass of rock plummeted towards Nagi: Orochi's final revenge. Before Amaterasu's very eyes, Shiranui appeared, Nagi's saviour in the nick of time. As the cave shook, giving way once more, there was little time for any further dalliance. Amaterasu raced away, Lika clinging to her fur, and as the sun goddess ran, she reached out one final time. The little brush wielder was still there. Then she passed through the Spirit Gate, and it was gone.

She had little doubt now as to what, or rather, who this second wielder could be.

For the little being had the fiery radiance of the sun, and mixed among it was the cool, still beauty of the moon.

With a single spark of moonlight.

oOo

Time passed. The day of darkness came and went, Yami was slain, and it was with a light heart that Amaterasu finally ascended to the Celestial Plain once more.

Ah, but a goddess' work is never done.

Amaterasu padded across the Celestial Plain, her paws sinking into the soft grass, the day warm, but not stifling, just like it had been all that time ago. Her ears were pricked, carefully listening out for something.

When she finally caught the sound of a flute on the wind, Amaterasu followed it to its source. She could have laughed at the predictability of it all; there was Waka, standing in a tree like a sentinel from long ago. To bark would be an easy way of immediately drawing his attention, summoning him down like so, but instead she sat and listened, letting the music wash over her. Finally the piece came to an end, and before the last notes had faded from the air, Waka hopped down from the tree. He settled himself beside her with a soft rustle of silk and grass. For a brief moment it was like no time had passed at all, that they were centuries in the past, before Yami had blighted the world. A simpler time, free of the bloodshed that was to come.

"Although there will always be work to do, it's good to sometimes sit back and listen to the music, eh, ma chérie?" Waka smiled.

Amaterasu regarded him for a moment, that old fondness lining her heart. She gave a small bark, one that was more air than noise, pushed from the mouth rather than projected. The look in her eyes said everything.

"Ah," said Waka, understanding immediately. "I see I'm not the only one who noticed your little doppelg _ä_ nger then." A faint grin played around the edges of his mouth, a poorly concealed attempt at being enigmatic. "Ever full of surprises, eh?"

Amaterasu barked again, twice, unable to hide the hint of pride that crept into her voice. This time Waka was unable to conceal his amusement, mouth cracking into a grin proper.

"Fear not, I won't pry. It would be most obtuse to enquire into a maiden's _personal_ matters."

Amaterasu rolled her eyes. Ah, the obliviousness of men. Tail lightly thumping the ground, she softly butted Waka in the chest, and placed a very firm paw on his leg. _That_ should get the message across. It did. The smile dropped from Waka's face, as did most of the colour, too. The next second it had flooded back, concentrating in his cheeks with such force that Amaterasu reckoned it could give her sun a run for its money. He blinked a couple of times, mouth opening and closing in a good approximation of a goldfish.

"W-wait, _moi_?" he finally managed to stutter out, wearing a flustered expression that could only be described as 'priceless'.

Amaterasu nodded, and nosed his cheek for good measure. For a moment he simply stared at her in a different manner, taking in her lupine form.

"But, ah, I know that we've, er-, I mean, _mon dieu_ , you're, in the past we, ah-" Waka babbled for a moment, before falling silent. He seemed to be considering something, lips moving imperceptibly. Finally he spoke. " _A solar eclipse yields twin suns_. That was the prophecy that came to me last night. I never imaged the meaning would be revealed quite so soon!"

At that, Amaterasu couldn't help but huff out a doggy approximation of a laugh.

oOo

Divinity is a funny thing; immensely powerful, yet tied to the capricious praise of mortals, waxing and waning like the moon. Once upon a time, Amaterasu had a form that mortals would have described as 'human', whilst the gods would have described it as 'divine'. Those were the days when she could change at whim; one moment she would be walking through a field of flowers, upright on two legs, the next she would be racing with such swiftness on four, the wind carrying her paws.

The memory and knowledge of how to do such a thing still remained within her bones, a fact she knew all too well, but the long passage of time had left it weak and atrophied, like a muscle gone unused. Amaterasu also knew with a certainty that there would come a day once more when she'd be able to change with ease, but for now she must wait until the praise has accumulated, and rely on assistance until then.

(Privately, she tries. Initially, it feels like her insides are twisting in ways they should not, and for the first few attempts she meets with little success. She concentrates, reaching within herself, trying to reach back to the past and the memories contained within. The next second she is upright on two legs, and promptly falls over from not having stood in such a way for so long. But the moment after that she has snapped back into wolf form, the transformation not fully complete. She tries again, sustaining the form for longer each time, but it is never long enough, and each attempt ends with her as a wolf once more.)

There is a certain materialistic magnetism to mortals, humans especially so. As they go through their lives, possessions gravitate to them, even without trying. Gods are even worse in this respect, showered with offerings and small tokens of thanks from their worshippers, and Amaterasu was no different. Travelling the length and breadth of Nippon as she had, she'd collected quite a variety of curios and knickknacks. Some were of little use: decorative statues of the various brush gods, pieces of coral from the Dragon Palace, and particularly fine bits of craftwork that would impress even a god, to name but a few. Others were of a more practical use: sacred items, prayer slips, charms to ward off demons, amulets to empower. It was among the second category that Amaterasu found what she wanted.

Carefully, she laid out a small temple's worth of religious ephemera in multiple circles around her; individually the various trinkets could not do much, but when brought together, ah, now _there_ was _real_ power.

A look of determination on her face, Amaterasu sat in the middle of the jumble. It would be a complex, multi-part spell: enough to alleviate her wolf form for a while, whilst ensuring that that there were no internal complications of _any_ sort, and making it so that both she and her upcoming passenger would change back into wolves at the appointed time. Every step, every enchantment, was vital. To transform back too soon could spell disaster, not to mention be awkward and potentially mentally scarring!

A series of barked incantations and a prayer later, and Amaterasu was a maiden once more. It would not last long. But it'd be long enough.

oOo

Waka was watching the moon when she arrived, as if in contemplation of his old home. His shirt lay neatly folded to one side, and Amaterasu could have counted every ridge in his spine. The air was still, the sky clear, and silence blanketed everything. All in all, a fine night, but then again, nights on the Celestial Plain usually were – cool enough to sleep, but warm enough to wander, should one wish to do so.

There was a slight hitch in Waka's breath when he saw her, a slight tremor in the limbs. Even at night, Amaterasu couldn't help but shine.

They lay with one another, and there was a certain quietness about the whole affair. It's an unusual union, the sun-goddess incarnate, and a man from the Lunar tribe, but not alone in its nature. Gods have taken non-divine lovers in the past, and will continue to do so as long as there are both gods and mortals.

The next morning, when Amaterasu raised the sun, she was a wolf once more. And inside, the presence she felt twice before, had begun to grow.

oOo

It would be soon, of that Amaterasu was certain; she could feel it within, heavy and shifting, a tiny storm within her. Secretly she was grateful, for who knew that having a single passenger could be so tiring, even for a being such as herself?

Within the day Amaterasu found herself slinking away to a quiet place, a small, shaded thicket where the scent of flowers was thick. The day passed by, afternoon sinking into sunset, and when Waka finally located her, there was a tiny white bundle by her side, bearing the same divine markings that she had.

oOo

Chibiterasu grew, going from a small, mewling cub who nestled by his mother's side, to a young wolf who scampered about the place, eager to explore every nook and cranny. It was more than once that Amaterasu had to fish Chibiterasu out of trouble, and Waka found that he suddenly had to keep his beloved flute out of reach of puppy jaws, much to Amaterasu's amusement and Waka's exasperation.

oOo

There came a day when Waka was wandering, letting his footsteps carry him where they would. It was a nicety about the Celestial Plain, that although not entirely purified, one could meander where they wished without fear of danger. On the Moon, such an activity was folly; there were only straight paths to follow, the shortest route between destinations. To tarry would be to risk one's life, treading where monsters roamed. Idly, Waka noted that he hadn't seen young Chibi that day, nor Amaterasu. It was not long before a familiar tree appeared, the one where Amaterasu had first told him of their son, his footsteps having lead him there. That was not the only familiar thing however, as Amaterasu was laying underneath.

Even at a distance, Waka could see that there was a thoughtful expression gracing her canine face, and in that moment, he knew why. Her gaze briefly flicked to Waka as he approached, before snapping back to something unseen.

Waka sat himself down beside her. There was a pause as he considered his words.

"Our tiny sun is in Nippon, non?" he finally said, unable to resist the pun. It was a statement, not a question, but Amaterasu nodded.

She huffed out a doggy sort a sigh, and rested her head on Waka's knee. A moment later, his hand drifted down to scratch the fur between her ears.

"He'll be alright, ma chérie. He takes after his mother, after all."

Amaterasu snorted, sounding amused, and licked his free hand.

Their tiny sun had started his journey.

There would be trials, but he would overcome them.

He would meet people, and help them.

He would make friends and face enemies many times his size.

He would travel through time, and she would feel his brushwork twice.

And one day their tiny sun would return.

But until then, they could wait. After all, much of the Celestial Plain still needed purifying, and Nippon was not purified in a day.

A goddess and prophet's work is never done.

oOoOo

Extra AN: Okay so I know that the Moon Cave doesn't collapse like it does when you're fighting True Orochi, but, er, this is just my headcanon as to why it disappeared. K BYE


End file.
